We motor-sailed across to Hervey Bay today and anchored at Rooney Point, just behind Sandy Cape at the northern tip of Fraser Island.

Soon after we dropped anchor a chap and his young son came over from the beach in a dinghy. “You’ll see a lot of whales here tonight” he said, “they sleep here…”.

He was not wrong. Yvonne and I heard it at the same time – the chatting of the whales, big and small, all around the boat. Next there came the occasional, explosive, exhalation, mere meters away from us… Oh, and the occasional “bloop, bloop, bloop…” noises – no idea what those are!

It was like being in the whales’ home at dinner/bed time… A couple of hours after dark it was all quiet and peaceful. An experience that will stay with me forever…